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native Australian

native Australian

1 5.1
A person whose family lived in Australia before Europeans arrived
  • noun
  • Australian
translation icon : aborigen australiano
  • Australia's treatment of native Australians (I don't even like to use the word "aboriginal" - it's
  • native Australians and Melanesians

Examples

  • The native Australians have a deep connection to the land and its ecosystems.

  • As a native Australian, he proudly shares stories from his ancestral homeland.

  • It's a Aboriginal art piece, which is a native Australian art piece, for those of you who don't know.

  • "Why did Native Australians not adopt agriculture during the thousands of years that neighboring peoples to the north, in and around New Guinea?"

    Academic text (1999)
  • Many native Australians participate in cultural events to celebrate their rich heritage.

Synonyms

native
vsnative Australian
84 3.7

A person from the original people of a place, not later settlers

refers specifically to people from Australia before European settlement
Aborigine
vsnative Australian
  • Archaic
2 8.4

A person from the first people of Australia who lived there before Europeans arrived

is the same meaning but considered an older or offensive label
aboriginal
vsnative Australian
2 7.6

A member of the first people who lived in a region

is specific to Australia rather than any region
Aboriginal Australian
vsnative Australian
7.0

A person who belongs to the native people of Australia or a language they speak

focuses on people only not languages

Antonyms

108 4.1

A person who moves to a new area to live and set up a home

Surface Forms

Morphology

native + Australian

The meaning is directly compositional: 'native' (an indigenous person) combined with 'Australian' (of Australia) yields an indigenous person of Australia. This adjective+noun pattern is ordinary and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would reliably infer the intended meaning.

Etymology

Native Australian uses the word native in the simple sense 'born in a place' and the word Australian for someone from Australia, so early Europeans used it to name the people who already lived there before settlers arrived. That's why today native Australian means a member of the original peoples of Australia who lived there before European arrival.